The Pittsburgh Pirates blockbuster trade for former All-Star starting pitcher Chris Archer last season could not have possibly gone any worse for the team.
Archer has posted a 3-9 record with a 5.23 ERA and 1.41 WHIP in 22 starts this season. Meanwhile, the bounty the Tampa Bay Rays received in this deal continues to pay off.
Unfortunately for the Pirates, Archer might now be sidelined for some time. The struggling veteran exited Tuesday’s start against the Washington Nationals after giving up two hits in the first inning.
Pittsburgh has initially indicated that he’s dealing with shoulder discomfort, but there’s likely going to be more to this moving forward.
There’s no further word on the extent of the injury. With Pittsburgh completely out of the National League Playoff race, the team would be smart to take it slowly with Archer. After all, it has options on the pitcher’s contract for each of the next two seasons.